>> i believe government is here to fix our streets, roads, and protect us, but they don't need to protect people from their jobs. >> three cheers for her. you at home who understand it's freedom, not central planning that gives us better lives, that's our show. thanks for watching, i'm john stossel. ♪ lou: the obama administration tonight ramping up dlomatic efforts to end seer -- syris bloody civil war and the fear assad could use chemical weapons against his own people. the military is prepared to use poisen gas bombs, secretary of

hillary clinton flew to dublin to hold a meetg with her russian counter part and u.n. enjoy to syria meeting to discuss how they would end the now 21-month long conflict in syria and how to move assad from power. and there's no sign they had to reverse the support, and toda a senior lawmaker says the syria government is now incapable of functioning properly. just before the meeting with the russian foreign minister, secretary clinton insisted that the united states and russia share common goals in the region. >> trying hard to work hard with russia to stop the bloodshed in syria and begin a political transition to a post asad future the pressure against the regime in and aroundamascus seems to be increasing.

lou: at home, leon pa net fa issuing the -- panetta issuinghe sharpest warning yet. >> the president of t united states made it clear there will be consequences. there will be consequences if the assad regime makes a terrible mistake by using chemical weapons on their own people. lou: neither the white house or pentagon elaborating on what the cons -- consequences would be, but having russia back them uld be a determined outcome made by the promise of president obama in dealing with russia after winning a second term as he remarked to the russian president thinking they were off microphone as they met in south korea back in march. >> after my election, i have more flexibility. >> i understand.

i just need permission -- lou: a full report on the disturbing turn of events in syria and the likely price of russian cooperation on syria. another middle east dictator, egyptian leader, morsi, with a concession to the opponents inviting them to hold talks on the crisis. is that enough to appease proteste who plan larger demonstrations tomorrow? we'll be talking with fox news middle east expert while ferris in washington institute fellow eric trager, and president obama back on the campaig trail continuing to successfully dress up his ultimatum on higher taxes as a republican decision rather than his own declaration. his staff organized a sit-down wi a middle class family today in virginia claiming congress is to blame p they fail to yield to

his ultimatum. why is the mainstream liberal media ignoring the reality it's the president's ultimatum driving us to the fiscal cliff? chris and senior writer for the weekly standard, steven hayes the guests here tonight. we begin with the dictator trying to maintain command of the country using chemical weapons as a deterrent. fox news chief washington correspondent james rosen has the latest for us in this report. >> a regime helicopter captured in the skies in syria in a video unloads something, most likely, a defensive flair to detour antirebel runners, but that epitomizes the fear of which the serian people now live. rebel forces taking the flight to the assad regime inside the

capital with a deadly explosion in the arab red crescent building outside the city. >> it's very clear the regime forces are being grounded down and that they are losing. >> in seeking to squash the uprising, he killed 40,000 people. president obama's top aids feel the fightg takes on a more gruesome character. >> we remain very concerned, very concern that as the opposition advances, i particular on damascus, that the regime might very well consider the use of chemical weapons. >> senior u.s. officials confirmed to fox news that syria have fully mixed an unknown quantitity of the deadly nerve agent loading it on to breakable canisters, an aerosol form to be dropped from above. in dublin, secretary of state

clinton met with the russian foreign minister whose regime steadfastly defended syrias, but that changed as the russian leer, close to putin said, quot we have shared and do she the opinion that the existing government in syria has to carry out its function, but time shown this task is beyond its strength. >> it's now up to the russians to do everything possible and maximize their influence to ensure he does not use these weapons. >> it's also good to hear that some of the arab countries are trying to find a way to get them out. >> whether assad accepts the settlement that includes asylum in another country is far from clear. the deputy foreign minister said he's 100% sure that assad will never, ever leave syria. lou: thank you very much. chief washington correspondent, and joining us now, fox news

middle east and teror analyst, fellow at the washington institute for near east policy. gentlemen, thank you for being here. beginning withou, just received word that the president smoke with morsi today talking about the number of deaths and concern about the result of the monstrations. this is now a region that seems to be of behaving in ways in which this adnistration could not have anticipated did not a year ago, six months ago. your thoughts on what's happening now? >> well, ii's happening right now is balance of force, of demonstrations between the morsi regime, which is still trying to assert itself, the gun to influence the army, bu did not complete the job, so the army is not completely under the hands of morsi, but, on the other hand, a dynamic opposition uniting against morsi and has

been early on the responsible for the urising in egypt against mubarak, replaced with the brotherhood, and bottom line, lou, is now the obama administration realizes that a partnership th the muslim brotherhood and morsi will not do. there has to be a triangle agreement. it's part of the politics. morsi cannot, even with the referendum on the5th, five lines, strong opposition. lou: eric, do you concur? >> i don't, actually. i wish i shared his optimism, but it seems to me the administration is still really engaging morsi, not reading him the riot act. you had top morsi advisers in washington yesterday meeting with the nfc. no hardessage sent at all. it's true that, you know, the protesters against morsi are uniting around it, but beyond

that, very little brings them together. it's hard to see this protest creating a nonislammist movement more likely have be forcing it through creating chaos. >> doesn't it seem now clear that this administration is supporting at least covertly, subtly, the islamist movement in the region, in fact rather than, as it seems, many want to believe, and trying to work against the radicall islams, and those. >> this question is only asked in washington. everywhere else, go to paris, london, europe, the arab world, you read their press, and

everybody knows, or everybody criticizes or accuses the obama administration as being a partner as pushing or helping the morsi government, and before that, the muslim brotherhood. it's a well-knn reality. only in the hallways of the washington, political establishment, the question should be why? why did the obama administration from day one from thrir square, rather than teaming with the youth, women, middle class, labor, and he sided with the muslim brotherhood, and that question basically, if we answer that question, we would know what would be the future of the policy in egypt. lou: eric, you cautioned against trusting morsi from the outset, and now, it appears, we are trying to persuade russia to end their support for assad. how effective do you think that ever will be?

>> i think it will be very uneffective, and i'm afraid we waited way look on syria. 30,000 people have been killed. now reports of gas loaded on to bombs to be dropped # on them, and i think we really have to be very concerned that prsuing this diplomatic process gives the assad regime more time to do tremendous damage and destruction to his own people. lou: thank you, both, eric, doctor, thank you, gentlemen. >> thank you. lou: more on the crisis in syria and egypt as we take it up with the a-team. the so-called fiscal cliff is really all about the obama ultimate may tum. >> i'm not going to sign a package that somehow prevents the top rates from going up for folks at the top 2%. lou: president's ultimatum and his insistence on higher taxes may take us over the cliff. chris and steven next.

the next scott walker? michigan's republican governor ready to do plitical battle with organized labor in his state. what about a right to work law? straight ahead. [beep] [indistinct chatter]

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lou: the staffs of both president obama and house speaker boehner are talking, but there is still no word of progress on the so-called fiscal cliff or the president's ultimatum. silence indicate a deal in the works or something too ugly for them to contemplate?@ we'll have the latest for you from the white house. white house correspondent ed henry here in just moments, but, first, the money line in hoping washington might get a deal done driving a modestly bullish mood

on wall street at the end of the session. investors cheering news in a decline in jobless claims, and household wealth in the country grew by $1.7 trillion, to the highest level in five years, talk about a positive indicator for consumer purchasing. the dow jones industrial up 40 points, the s&p up five, and nasdaq rose 15.5 points. volume? a billion shares lighter than yesterday, but above the average of 3.1 billion trading on the board today. apple rebounded from yesterday's worst date performance in four years, a gain of $8.45 today with the ceo saying apple will move imac computer production to the country in the new year. garmin stock higher to replace rr donly in the s&p 500, the stock moving up 5.75%.

crude oil declining, down a third day in a row, looking at large supplies of gasoline and anemic demand. crude oil down 1.62 settling at 84.26. the yield continues to fall slipping to 1.58% today. confirmation tonight that the staffs of president obama and house speaker boehner resumed discusons as the two principles remain far from face-to-face negotiation apparently. fox news chief white house corresndent ed henry has the latest. >> pulling on the heart strings like he's on the campaign trail, president obama vsited a middle class family in virginia. >> a couple thousands dollars means a couple months rent for this family. >> again, trying to frame the battle over the miscall cliff as being all about taxes with no mention of spending cuts. >> i'm not going to sign any package that somehow prevents the top rates from going up for

folks at the top 2%, but e remain optimistic we can get something done that are good for families like this one, and that's good for the american economy. >> republicans believe the reason the president is going light on spending cuts while demanding the budget deal include another increase in the nation's debt ceiling is clear. >> this is not about getting a handle on deficits or debt for him. it's about spending even more than he has. >> white house aids reject the republican claims that holding the debt limit over the president's head is the only mechanism to get him to trim spending. >> you're just going to keep at the debt limit goes higher, you spend more money. you and congress, both. >> that's false. president signed into law a trillion dollars in discretionary cuts. the president has a specific proposal to achieve $600 billion in savings from entitlement programs like health care entitlement programs.

>> jay compared republican pressure on the debt ceiling to a hostage taking. >> a profoundly bad idea that i think could not be more frightening for american businesses, and american workers. >> treasury secretary tim geithner may have frightened people yesterday saying the white house is prepared to go off the fiscal cliff unless republicans bend on taxes. a comment by former democratic potential candidate howard deen frighted republicans that the debate is not just about raising taxes on the rich. >> the truth is everybody needs to take more taxes, not just the rich. that's a good start, but we're not going to get out of the deficit problem unless we raise taxes acss the board. to go back to what bill clinton had. >> now, some liberals pushed the president to invoke the 14th amendment claiming that gives him the executive power to raise the debt limit himself, but jay said today the white house studied that proposition and decided the president does not have that executive power

meang we headed for another show down with congressver raising the debt ceiling. lou: the fiscal cliff and now a new ultimatum on the national debt ceiling. you suppose this is the last condition? >> it's going to be a wild couple of months, maybe everybody thought with the election over, there was going to be peace and fure all of this out, bui think we're just at the beginning of a long protractive battle, lou. lou: more on the stalemate of the fiscal cliff, the impasse, and tell us what you think about the so-called negotiations. vote in tonight's online poll. do you agree president obama's ultimatum on higher taxes are actually the cause? make him responsible for driving us off the fiscal cliff? go to our to be page at facebook facebook.com/loudobbs. we'll have results at the end.

chris and steven joining us here next to address th question and more.

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lou: house minority leader, pelosi going along with timothy geithner in saying it's just a fact we're going over the cliff if republicans do not agree to meet the president's ultimatum and raise taxes on the top 2%. >> the way i heard it, and the way i think it was not as a threat we'll go over if they don't, it's a prediction. if there's no agreement, then the cliff has to be dealt with. i don't see it if they don't do this, we do that. i saw it as a statement of fact. it's not a threat. it's a prediction. if there's no agreement, we go over the cliff. let's hope we have an agreement3 lou: ha-ha, fox news digital

politics editor joining us as does steven hayes, weekly writer and fox news critterment steven, it looks like a condition preceding, and looks like it and sounds like it. how can it be the entire national media establishment seems to be blaming the republicans because the president issued an ultimatum? >> incredible, the president had red lines, saying he will not enteain the debt ceiling debate in the broader fiscal cliff discussion, clear where he was on taxes on the wealthy, a president who came out, and from the beginning, suggesting he's not moving off of his basic requirements, and republicans came a coup of different times making, at least, gestures towards a compromise. i think that suggests where the leverage really lies in this debate and negotiations.

>> chris, seemssthe president's doing everything but taking snuff as he makes degrees and pronouncements, and the republicans for e life of me don't have a response, a message to meet and deal with the president. >> well, this is the starving time for the republicans. this is the bad season -- unhappy christmas for the republicans with the goal to get to the fiscal cliff, and get beyond that so that they can get to the debt ceiling. the debt ceiling is where they have leverage, advantage, and where the president is asking to increase the debt ceiling beyond the 2 #.2 trillion, these are american dollars, the $2.2 trillion that he was granted in borrowing power back in august. the republicans have to get to the point where that's the fulcrum for the debate. the president wants it out now and do it.

he would like an unconditional increase and permanent, basically, increase in the debt ceilg now, inddition to the tax rate increase. the republicans have to survive this time as it relates to tax increases and get on to the ground of the debt ceiling. lou: way are the odds of survival if you have a senate minority leaders fill busting his own proposal the floor of the senate, which some consider ill-considered. >> yeah, well, i mean, it it was a momen wass't it? i mean, i don't think -- the republicans, clearly, are having a bad moment here. chris is right. you'll look back on this in six months, 12 months, or two years saying it's the low point, what republicans are hoping. it's not the case democrats are are organizednd all sitting together on the same page too. some dissent object question is did the overall amount of raising taxes, that scares some democrats in the senate. you had democrats in the house

repeatedly declare the opposition to any tinkering with entitlements, medicare, medicaid, social security, the real problem here, they say flat out, we're not going to do that. you have some differences with the democrats as well. >> no question. there's division of plenty on capital hi, b u this president is giving a clear impression that he doesn't care what anyone else thinks, democrat, republican, the senatethe house, his team, he'll plunge ahead over the cliff. am i missing something, chris? >> no, that's what he would like most of all. the thing that barack obama would like most of all, and i don't mean this to s th he doesn't love america or whatever else, but what i mean, is that the president is advantaged hugely on the other side of the fiscal cliff. if he can get republicans to join hands, jump, and be on the other side, all the tax rates go

up issue and he's negotiating from an advantaged position. if he kept debt that, what he would hope is he can force republicans into app auto fade op the question of tax rates and ve the party consume itself ahead of midterms with primary challenges before the 2014 so he's, right now, on the tax question looking at when, when. the only hope, the only ground the republicans can hope to stand on is the debt limit increase happening in february. lou: i hear chris saying just because you reek devastation as president of the united states on your economy, doesn't mean you don't love your country. [laughter] >> well said, very well said >> that's exactly what he was intending to say. [laughter] >> look, i mean, it's an interesting position right now for the president. if you look at the president's argument, i mean, it is effect of what he's saying. we talked about this before,

but, remember, the president argued twice raising taxes in time ofnomic struggle is bad for the economy. he was clear about this. he laid out the argument, and in some detail. you don't raise taxes when the economy's struggling. we were growing at a clip of 5.6% of gdp growth, and today, it's less than 2%, and he's making the saim argument. lou: thank you. greato have you here. more on the cliff, stalled negotiations, and, of course, ever-lasting hope straight ahead. syria and the fiscal cliff. they share two things in common. they are subjects of an obama ultimate may tum and -- ultimatum and the a-team tonight. >> three, two, one! [cheers and applause] lou: state of washington celebrating the passage of two ballot initiatives. why pot heads gathered at the

space needle ineattle next. the fiscal cliff 25 days away, a leading conservative senator unexpectedly resigns, and we'll take that up with his friend and colleague, congressman trey here next.

lou: a big surprise today in washington. senator jim demint of south carolina announcing he will resign his senate seat? january to take over the leadership of the think tank, the conservative think tank, the heritage foundation. earlier, the snator criticized boehner's proposal saying, quote, would destroy american jobs and not reduce the debt a penny. joining me to talk about the senator's resignation, his outlook on the cliff, and a host of other issues, delighted to be joined by south carolina lawmaker congressman trey, and

congressman, great to have you with us. let me begin with the fiscal cliff. as i discussed with steven and our editor, chris, i have not heard a single republican say of the president's ultimatum, you know, that's the cause of the cliff, not the facthat we department yield to that ultimatum. why in the world aren't republicans talking about the president's ultimatum is -- as thee causal agent of any plunge over the fiscal cliff? >> wel lu, this are a few. jim jordan, demint, we don't have a megaphone or bblly pulpit. there's a band of conservatives in the house opposing the so-called debteal last summer, but the president can command media wherever he goes, and

whatever he does becomes news, and we're 435 little voices, and, frankly, the republican conference is not always singing off the same sheet of music. it is stunning to me we're going to go over a fiscal cliff or slope because of eight and a half days of revenue. that's what the president's asking for, eight and a half days worth of borrowing. the other thing to look at, lou, i think, is, you know, the president wants re revenue. he gets that by going over the cliff. he wants less defense spending. he gets that by going off the cliff, and he wants the republican brand damaged which he gets by going over the cliff. what incentive does he have to sit down and negotiate? none. lou: why is the republican party throwing over reagan omics, free enterprise, growth, individual

freedom, smaller government, you know, and lower taxes over this? are you kidding me? the republican leadership is also incentivized just as well as the president as you know, congressman, and they will get twice -- get spending cuts, sequestering goes into effect. you're going to see, obviously, domestic and defense budgets cut, but you'll see a tax increase re, but the fact is you get nothing if you don't do the fiscal cliff. >> well, among my many limitation is the inability to read other people's minds. i don't know what spaker boehner's thinkg, but i know what he tells us in conference and private. lou: you can speak freely here. >> well, spiker boehner believes

and convinced me he's negotiating with himself. he's in the spot between, and let's be clear, john boehner's never voted for a tax increase in his entire caer in the house so he's got his principles, and, on the other hand, we saw in november, bewere not successful coming to electioneering. we're going to be blamed. he wants to create the appearance of a willingness to sit down in talk in a broad way in entitlement reform, bending the spinning art, but the president won't engage it. it's give me my increase on the dreaded rich people, and and unlimited credit card with respect to the debt ceiling. can you imagine anything more absurd than us giving eman unlimited ability to raise the debt ceiling? he's got the unmitigated ability to ask for tt. lou: congressman, i have the

most profound respect. you t me to tears thinking about the 435 folks there on capital hill in the house who have little tiny megaphones and can't get their message out, but then i start desperately looking for the message, and i can't even find it as i seek it. the poor speaker of the house, inability to rise to the leve of the bully pulpit, but the fact is i don't see the creativity, the energy, the passion for the philosophy of the republican party that engenders a powerful leadership response to a direct challenge the fundamental values and tenants of the republican party, and i ask you, if you don't spond now, when would the republican party respond? >> i'll let you in on a secret, lou, because i like you. between us, and us only -- lou: is this where you start to tell me to go to hell?

>> no, sir, i would never, never tell you that. we had a plan that many conservatives in the house worked on, and we were going to unvail it last week. we were going to unvail it only the exact same day that speaker boehner unvailed his response so we canned it, but there is a group of conservatives led by jim jordan, extraordinary person from ohio, and others. we do have a plan, and it's earlly like cup, cat, and balance, which i hasten to add would have averted the so-called super committee, and what we are talking about today, and it had bipartisan support. if we get the house leadership to reinvest and cut cap and balance, our plan last summer, but something about washington that if it's not a new idea, it's not a good requested. i'm sure there's a reluctance to go back to the old plan, but we did have somethinwe were going to roll out this week, and i

hope expwrim rolls it -- jim rolls it out next week. u: looking forward to, thank you for letting us in on that. >> yes, sir, between us. lou: appreciate that. that's always our obligation here that we maintain. >> yes, sir. lou: jim demint shocking everybody. you interested in what might result? >> governor haley picking the person she can pick, and i'm happy to give her four good names, tim scott, nick, jeff duncan, and joe wilson would be extraordinary. she has access to much better political minds and more wisdom than i can afford her, but high on the guys i served with in the house. toh to replace gym demint no matter who she makes, but tim scott would be extraordinary, our state would be well served with any one of them.

lou: congressman, that's why i'm sure you're on that list. congressman, thank you for being with us. economic thinker tomorrow author of the book on supply side economics, "wealth and poverty," th former cbo directer, douglas holtz-eakin, and up next tonight is the governor of michigan, is he going to be the nextcott walker? details on his pro-worker push in michigan straight ahead.

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lou: michigan legislature approve right to work legislation as hundreds showed up in michigan's capital protesting the measure. at least eight protesters arrested when a crowd of several hundred tries to push their way into the locked capitol building. police said it was already filled to capacity. republican gernor rick snyder says he plans to sign the legislation calling it

pro-worker. unions sharing a loss ofnion dues and other power attack governor snyderlaiming he's putting the future of the state in the hands of big business. well, president obama adding to the ever-expanding list of titles, the latest coming from the chairman of the white house triball nation's conference. listen. >> the president loves basketball. he has an indian name. he knows what it's like to be poor, and he has not forgotten where he came from, and his theme song is "hail to the chief." [laughter] i think he definitely qualifies as the first american indian president. lou: and so he is declared. you may remember the president has been called the first gay, female, jewish, and asian president; however, without question, the title of america's

first black president belongs to bight. -- bill clinton. up nt, the obama ultimatum. tax the rich, or he'll take the country over the cliff. vote on the facebook page, do you agree president obama's ultimatum on higher taxes are responsible for driving us over the cliff if that were to occur? we're talking with monicand angela, and lori. that's right, the a-tea is next, and you don't want to miss them. before copd... i took my son fisng every year. we had a great spotot, not easy to find,ut worth it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd

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lou: joining me now the a team, author of "what the bleep just

happened" i love that title, radio talk show host monica crowley, and fox news political analyst, angela, and fox business network lori rothman. let's start with, if we may. this fiscal cliff. the republicans, as i mentioned, they are not mounting any kind of response to the charge by the administration. >> not surprising. the republicans have been known for as long time as the stupid party, they are a hot mess, they came out of this elect on the losing end, they have done nothing to try to regroup, this affects every american's life and pocketbook, they still can't get it together with a coherent message based on their core principals, economic freedom, and liberty, if you can't stand for those, and fight for them, they have no business being one

of the two major political parties. >> monica is right, the republicans have allowed obama to ccntrol the debate, we have the morale high ground and our plan, obama in 2011 talking about tax reform said we can -- we don't have to raise tax rates, we can lower tax rates by capping deducts. he said that. lou: where is coordinated action and rhetoric from the party? i'm talking about from mayors to governors. >> we have been great with policy, but we've been clumsy courtroom communicators. >> boehner will let this backfire, we are higher taxing, no growth, no jobs, fake interest rates, in two years the republican party comes back stronger. >> we're sing is political

fear at its best, by being a washington dc insider i belve we can still get a deal, we have two proposal on the table. >> to get to your point, lou, from a conservative perspective, over in 6 was a national suicide. -- november 6 was a national suicide. a very thin find red line, that red line of republican party. if this party also commits suicide, this will be catastrophic. neil: we'll explore further why it is that republicans are having trouble with two areas, one winning elects and the other governing, we'll be back with tha-team, and we'll find out who is in charge o this assault on christmas among other questions, stay with us. want to try to crack it? yeah, at's the way to do it! now we need a little bit more... [ male announcer ] at humana, we understand the value of quality time and personal attention.

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lou: we're back with the a team.

i talked with congressman goudie about the issue of taxes, all right senator tom coburn, and tom coal exceeded two tax hikes. >> it makes terrible sense, we're in a situation where the economy is not growing there are no jobs. we're facing an inflationary environment too. it is troubling, and it is just about politics, and ideology and pushing that forward no matter what without thinking -- >> what they are saying is that obama will have to give more, than entitleme cuts and spending cuts and republicans might have to acquiesce to tax hikes. lou: what is the republican party coming, monica used expression pitical party

suicide, i don't know if that drastic but there is a defeatism i find astonishing. >> they hope to stan strong together in one message, we need a warrior that is why i'm delighted that jim demint is leaving and going to the heritage foundation, we don't have a clear champion on our issue, senator rubio does a great job but we need more out there jan the kuh cuban guy from florida. lou: i tell you, right now, i may be insulting a lot of people, but he is the most ex fisk communicate or -- effective communicate or the replican party has but he is not talking about the fiscal cliff. >> he said we have to did is not create new taxes but new tax payers, not make the richer

poer but the poorer richer. lou: that is a great slogan. >> you have to create policy, we're 25 days away from the fiscal cliff. >> to your original question about lack of energy and coi he had on the republican side, -- cohesion on the republican side. there a real dispier i dispiern this. not just among leadership but voting public people are burnt out. lou: what have they done? you have to work hard to get burned out. >> they have not done that. >> and tea party on the rise again. i think that stronger better republican party in two years from, last cycle. watch this whole fiscal cliff dial backfire. the -- the economy is going into recession in new year. lou: do you believe there is no way to avoid the fiscal cliff.